Photo Techniques Magazine (1979-2014)
- Origins and Mission
- Founded in 1979 by Preston Publications under the title Darkroom Techniques.
- Mission: Provide photographers with detailed, illustrated techniques for creating exceptional photographs.
- Initial focus: Traditional film photography, including black-and-white techniques, darkroom tutorials, and alternative photography processes.
- Shift to Digital Photography
- As digital photography gained prominence, the magazine expanded to include:
- Digital photography tips and tutorials.
- Photoshop techniques.
- Digital camera reviews.
- Website launched in 1999 to support this shift online.
- As digital photography gained prominence, the magazine expanded to include:
- Challenges with Changing Times
- The rise of the Internet and digital photography rapidly outpaced the magazine’s adaptation.
- Retained a core focus on traditional film photography, which limited its appeal to a growing digital audience.
- Described by a former contributing editor as “a product out of time,” appealing primarily to analog photography enthusiasts.
- Support from Publisher
- Tinsley Preston, the publisher, kept the magazine alive as a “labor of love” despite the decline in print media and interest in film photography.
- Closure and Legacy
- The magazine ceased publication in 2014.
- Preston Industries, Inc. (parent company of Preston Publications) is still listed as active in Illinois, although its corporate website is nonfunctional.
Conclusion
Photo Techniques magazine was a pivotal resource for analog photographers in its early years but struggled to adapt fully to the digital photography boom and the rise of the Internet. Its enduring focus on darkroom techniques and film photography kept it beloved by a niche audience, but it ultimately became outdated. Despite its closure, it remains an important part of photography history, demonstrating the transition from analog to digital.
Photo Techniques magazine was a print magazine which stated mission was “to provide practicing photographers with useful information and detailed, illustrated techniques for creating exceptional photographs.” The magazine was founded in 1979 under the name “Darkroom Techniques” by Preston Publications.
When the magazine was founded in 1979, the sole focus of the magazine was on traditional film photography. The magazine included black & white photography tutorials, darkroom equipment and supplies reviews, landscape photography and location shooting tutorials, as well as alternative photography processes.
As digital photography began to grow in popularity, the magazine shifted it’s focus to also include digital photography tips, Photoshop tutorials, Digital Camera reviews, and more. The magazine’s website was launched in 1999, in the then nascent World Wide Web.
Unfortunately, like many other print publishers, the sudden, and parabolic rise of the Internet apparently took ‘Photo Techniques’ by surprise. The trouble was compounded by the sudden, and parabolic rise of digital photography. ‘Photo Techniques’ never quite grew out of it’s original core focus of darkroom film photography.
According to a former contributing editor of the Phot0 Techniques Magazine:
For many years now Photo Techniques Magazine has been a survivor simply because its publisher, Tinsley Preston, kept it alive as a labour of love.
I was a Contributing Editor for a number of years… For several years now it has been a product “out of time“, and I don’t mean by that that it was ending. Rather, it was from another era.
Preston Publications is the “assumed name” of Preston Industries, Inc., based on Illinois. While the corporate website (www.prestonpub.com), did not load as of the publishing of this article, the corporate is shown still as “Active” by the Illinois Secretary of State.
